TSCRA held a ranch gathering at Walker ranch in Aguilares, Tuesday, welcoming association members, leaders, guests and special speakers. TSCRA Honorary Director Gene Walker Sr. and wife, Susan, hosted the reception with more than 56 attendees at their home in South Texas. Read more…

Ambassador Isi Siddiqui, chief agriculture trade negotiator in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), recently discussed the contribution of agricultural exports to the National Export Initiative with journalists following a White House Business Council Agriculture Roundtable discussion on Denver. Siddiqui noted that 2011 ag exports reached a record value of $140 billion. Beef and Pork exports set value records at $5 billion and $6 billion respectively during 2011, which Siddiqui says results from growing international demand and the USTR’s ability to remove a number of trade barriers. Read more…

Cattle markets in the first quarter of the year have offered some surprises and Kevin Good of CattleFax spoke with Ron Hays at the recent Texas Southwestern Cattle Raisers Annual Convention. Good says there are several things to take into consideration when looking at the markets coming out of last year and into the first quarter. Read more…

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Commissioner Carlos Rubinstein are challenging the International Boundary and Water Commission’s (IBWC) unilateral decision to deliver Rio Grande water to Mexico while Texas continues to suffer through unprecedented drought and water shortages. Read more…

TSCRA Special Ranger Bart Perrier, Dist. 4, has reported the theft of 5 cross-bred yearling steers of unknown color from a property near Ramona, Okla., sometime between March 22 and 29. The steers weigh approximately 700 lbs. each and are branded with a double bar S brand on the left hip. If you have any information on this theft, please call Special Ranger Perrier at 918-287-2332. Read more…

or the southern Plains, good rains through the panhandle of Oklahoma and into the southwestern part of the state allowed for a categorical improvement to the drought intensity with Exceptional Drought being eliminated in the panhandle. Good rains through west Texas and in and along the southern border also warranted some improvements, with many areas seeing a reduction in drought intensity and some Exceptional Drought being eliminated in west Texas. Portions of East Texas also picked up some rains and even heavier rains and severe weather coming after the end of the current Drought Monitor period. These rains continued the improvements in the region with some Abnormally Dry being eliminated and Moderate Drought improving along the Gulf Coast. Read more…